“Due to a loophole in the law, some development projects can proceed without community engagement or environmental review,” said Assemblymember Medina. “This could worsen our air quality, damage our health, and undermine California’s environmental goals.”

Currently, a qualifying voter initiative goes to the city council who then can respond in several ways. One possibility is to adopt the initiative without a public vote or an environmental review of the project. Consequently, projects can be immediately approved without any public disclosure of environmental impact. This loophole has been increasingly used to approve projects that have vast regional effects on the environment.

“We all want economic success and development for California,” Medina added. “But success for the state should not cost a community its voice or its health.”